FRANKFURT: After an England-Denmark game at the European Championship played on a field that cut up following days of rain, UEFA said Friday it was working on “specific issues” to improve the quality.
Frankfurt has had steady rainfall this week and the Waldstadion roof was closed for 24 hours before kickoff, and during the game Thursday, to protect the field that was used all season by host club Eintracht Frankfurt.
Chunks of turf were kicked up during England’s 1-1 draw with Denmark and several players slipped on the greasy grass in humid conditions on a 23-degree (73 F) day.
“A detailed maintenance plan is in place to address specific issues and further improve quality ahead of the upcoming fixtures at the venue,” UEFA said in a statement.
Germany plays Switzerland in the stadium Sunday in a 9 p.m. local (1900 GMT) kickoff. Frankfurt also hosts Slovakia-Romania on Wednesday and a round of 16 game on July 1 for the Group F winner, that could be Portugal.
UEFA has replacement fields ready to bring in when needed. The playing surface at Switzerland’s training stadium was relaid this week after a formal complaint.
England coach Gareth Southgate said he noticed the Frankfurt field break up when Belgium played there Monday and lost 1-0 to Slovakia.
“I’ve been a defender, when you play on a pitch like that it puts you on edge because you are not sure of your footing,” Southgate said after Thursday’s game.
UEFA said its expert field consultants “have seen the overall pitch rating improve consistently over the course of the previous season.”
Persistent rain in Germany during Euro 2024 has added to issues with fields that were relaid before the competition. In Hamburg, the Poland and Netherlands could not practice on the surface before the opening game at Volksparkstadion on Sunday.
Playing surfaces have been relaid during previous tournaments with turf brought from the Netherlands: During Euro 2016 at Lille, France, and Euro 2008 at Basel, Switzerland.
UEFA says it will improve Frankfurt field after turf cuts up in England-Denmark game at Euro 2024
https://arab.news/429ux
UEFA says it will improve Frankfurt field after turf cuts up in England-Denmark game at Euro 2024
- Frankfurt has had steady rainfall this week and the Waldstadion roof was closed for 24 hours before kickoff
Jordan make history as they reach Arab Cup final for first time with narrow victory over Saudi Arabia
- Green Falcons left to rue squandered chances as they miss out on what would have been their first final appearance in the competition since 2002
- Semi-final victory comes during a stellar year for Jordan in which they also qualified for the World Cup for the first time ever
DOHA: A header by Nizar Al-Rashdan gave Jordan a 1-0 victory in a tense match against Saudi Arabia on Monday and sent them to their first Arab Cup final.
Deprived of the services of Yazan Al-Naimat, who suffered a devastating knee injury in their quarter-final against Iraq, Jordan delivered a brave performance, greatly limiting the Saudi attacking threat across the 90 minutes.
The semi-final at Al-Bayt Stadium in Qatar attracted the highest attendance of the tournament so far, a vibrant crowd of 62,825. Both sides began cautiously, with Jordan lining up in a robust 5-4-1 formation that sought to restrict Salem Al-Dawsari and Saleh Abou Al-Shamat in the final third.
The game opened up a little after the break, as a tactical change from Jordan helped them gain greater control on the counterattack. Mohammed Abu Zrayq in particular proved influential down the right flank as he stretched the Saudi defense and gave the Nashama more attacking momentum.
The decisive moment, however, came from the opposite side. Mahmoud Al-Mardi delivered a dipping cross from the left, catching the Green Falcons’ defense off guard, and Al-Rashdan rose to head home the only goal of the match in the 66th minute.
Saudi Arabia responded with a series of substitutions, including the introduction of Al-Qadsiah midfielder Musab Al-Juwayr. The former Al-Hilal player helped link play between Al-Dawsari and Feras Al-Brikan down the left channel as the Saudis pressed for the equalizer.
Al-Brikan and then Saleh Al-Shehri both went close but Yazeed Abulaila stood firm in goal, producing a crucial save just minutes after Jordan took the lead.
The match ended on a particularly sour note for Saudi Arabia when last man Waleed Al-Ahmed was shown a straight red card in the closing moments after bringing down an opponent to halt a counterattack, as Jordan saw out their historic victory.
They now face Morocco, who earlier in the day defeated the UAE 3-0, in the final on Thursday.
